DVR rebooting itself

[chewingyu 0]

Is it a norm for PC-based DVRs running on XP to reboot itself every once in a while?? I am told this is a standard feature of XP.

My concern is the compromise of CCTV surveillance when this happens because during rebooting, it would mean 16 cameras are not 'watching'.

[Metal Shaper Man 0]

I’m not familiar with a variety of PC based DVRs. However, I can turn the reboot feature off or set the amount of days between reboot in the settings or tools area on mine. I’m pretty sure you can adjust that to accommodate your concerns.

[CollinR 0]

If it is setup to auto reboot (I don't do that) it will reboot like clockwork. Same time everyday or same time span between reboots, it shouldn't be a random thing.

[paradox 0]

if this can help.

 

i fixed a problem like that. wih a pc based dvr, geovision system and the problem was the chip set of the motherboard, it was not compatible, we changed the motherboar it used to be a VIA Chip Set, we used a gateway motherboar.

[Davidju 0]

it could be watchdog kick-in.

something happened to the system(program freeze, Windows crash) and DVR watchdog forced system to restart.

[cctv_down_under 0]

Check the windows event viewer for the shutdowns to find out what is trigerring it?

[rory 0]

Its not a normal feature of Windows XP; unless you purposely set it up to reboot.

 

Make sure you have no virus or malware, check the Task Scheduler, if you have a Voltage Regulator/UPS check that also, as low voltage here and there could cause it to power down and up again .. overheating can cause problems also (normally shutdown though). And check what the others above mentioned also.

[phred 0]

Just to add to the above suggestions.

 

One other thing that can cause this is your mains electricity supply.

The grid supply is often switched from one source to another and it

does not always happen smoothly.

There can be a short blip in the power that is sometimes enough to trigger a shutdown.

If the BIOS is set to reboot after a power failure, this can cause apparently random reboot behavior.

 

If you run the PC off a UPS and it is functioning correctly then the problem is elsewhere.

 

If you don't use a UPS then I strongly suggest you do – if my suggestion is correct then you are heading for early hard drive failure without one.

[rory 0]

If you don't use a UPS then I strongly suggest you do – if my suggestion is correct then you are heading for early hard drive failure without one.

 

a UPS is just a battery backup, the voltage Regulator is actually what saves your hardware ..

[phred 0]

If you don't use a UPS then I strongly suggest you do – if my suggestion is correct then you are heading for early hard drive failure without one.

 

a UPS is just a battery backup, the voltage Regulator is actually what saves your hardware ..

 

 

 

Good point.

I should have said a 'Line interactive UPS' not a cheapo without a regulator.

[rory 0]

Good point.

I should have said a 'Line interactive UPS' not a cheapo without a regulator.

 

Yep

 

Actually I just replaced a UPS (APC w/ Line Conditioner built in) for a Voltage Regulator (Line Conditioner) as the UPS kept shutting down the PC .. I still need to do some investigation before scrapping the UPS .. but seems due to extremely bad power at the location, the built in regulator must have been shutting it off too soon .. and not turning it back on (not enough power I imagine) for a while, even manual repower up on the UPS would not always work right away.. ended up damaging the hard drive in the end as it was doing this like 3 times a day in the end, well at least the hard drive is extremely noisy now (even after repartition/format) and I replaced it, going to try a zero fill and see if I can resell it

 

No issues from the other UPS's in the field though. The voltage regulator is working well now though ..

Now all I have to worry about is the GeoVision data and Windows File System Corruption .. until i put a new UPS in there or get the old one (3 months new) working properly again...

[phred 0]

APC used here too, very reliable (where's my Oak plank).

Never had to poke about inside one but they must be built within certain limits.

 

One of the disadvantages of all the different power sources we have

here now is all the switching from one to the other.

 

Often notice on night recordings how the light levels vary as voltages go up and down.

 

 

Where do you get your electrons from in the Bahamas? Any wave or wind power?

[rory 0]

No wave or wind power .. they just upgraded the main generator at the (government run) electric corporation.. lets hope our power doesn't go out 3+ times a day this summer like it normally does..

 

We have awful electric here .. brownouts, spikes, hums .. you name it .. I dont even know what they are most of the time .. sometimes I just sit here watching the lights come on orange and sit there for a while wondering when they will blow! He he .. ive used the same Triplite voltage Regulator for my PC (well from one PC to the next as technology changed) since 1996 .. i am amazed it has lasted this long .. never lost any hardware once it was on this .. cost me $150 back in 1996 and back then it was very rare here

 

A local PC store here brings in APC voltage regulators and UPSs in bulk, so we get a good price on them, they are actually meant for the Latin American market, which we are somehow included in.

[phred 0]

Sounds rough.

Not so bad here but it should be much better than it is.

In the North, power is becoming one of our big exports.

Wind farms going up everywhere.

Have considered getting my own wind turbine and selling the excess back to the grid,

it's becoming viable.

 

Shame no one has managed a room temp superconductor, you could just plug in here on a long extension – its a straight run.

 

Would need a big regulated UPS though!

[mcs 0]

I use POWERWARE

 

they are the best ups around

Apart from Upsonic- but they are dear

[chewingyu 0]

Sorry, have to dig up old thread. I forgot about it until I was recently informed that it happens frequently i.e. my DVRs would occasionally reboot themselves.

 

Checked with vendor, he says that it IS a standard feature of XP where if there is no activity in the DVR for a certain period of time, it would reboot itself, basically as a self-maintaining feature. I guess it is something like going through your attic and basically dusting off the gathered dust and rearranging the stuff so that we can throw out unwanted items.

 

But, the thing is, is such a feature really really necessary?

[Thomas 0]

Sorry, have to dig up old thread. I forgot about it until I was recently informed that it happens frequently i.e. my DVRs would occasionally reboot themselves.

 

Checked with vendor, he says that it IS a standard feature of XP where if there is no activity in the DVR for a certain period of time, it would reboot itself, basically as a self-maintaining feature. I guess it is something like going through your attic and basically dusting off the gathered dust and rearranging the stuff so that we can throw out unwanted items.

 

But, the thing is, is such a feature really really necessary?

 

If it's happening, then they are configuring XP incorrectly. XP by default doesn't reboot.

[chewingyu 0]

Really?? Time to have a good talk with my vendor!

[mcs 0]

Thats right, xp doesnt reboot by itself, it has no reason to.

 

It could be the watch dog feature, where your dvr sense's a problem and reboots,

or its set to reboot in the settings which we set all our dvrs' first thing in the morning 7-8am, that way it clears any windows issues

[chewingyu 0]

Just googled on XP rebooting itself and there were many people who experienced the same problem.

 

Just wondering if it is a bug or a deliberate feature by Microsoft.

[Thomas 0]

Just googled on XP rebooting itself and there were many people who experienced the same problem.

 

Just wondering if it is a bug or a deliberate feature by Microsoft.

 

Did you read the posts with it? XP rebooting was an issue prior to SP1. If your copy of XP is randomly rebooting, it's a viral issue or an issue with their software.